by Darrel Bird
Part 8: Affects
Dalton McCormick had lived on his dairy farm 3 miles down the black top from Robert Packwood’s place 12 years; he had bought the place, cattle and all from an elder couple who had decided it was time to quit and move into Seattle to be closer to their kids and grand kids.
The dairy farm was still a paying operation that is until Solar Cycle 24 rolled in, unseen and unfelt.
He noticed the change first in the cattle; milk production went way down, then he began to notice the small pit like pustules on his exposed skin and photo aging was becoming apparent on his arms and neck line; he was looking like an old man, and he was only forty years old. The dermal connective tissue had begun to be affected by the assault of solar radiation.
He examined his wife who was in a wheel chair without her knowing what he was doing, she didn’t seem to show many of the same effects as his, confirming to him that the EUV was the culprit.
“What is that on your arms, Dalton?”
“It appears to be the effects of solar radiation, but the strangest thing is that milk production is down; I am going to call an old friend who teaches at the University of Washington this morning to see what he thinks of it.”
Dalton had spent his first two years in medical school before he had to drop out because of money problems. It was his aim to go into dermatology, so he knew a little bit about it.
He met Craig Swain in medial school, and they became good friends and had remained so through the years.
He went into his tiny office to make the call; a woman answered the phone at the college.
“I would like to speak to Doctor Craig Swain please.”
“You have admissions, but I will try to connect you, may I say who’s calling?”
“Tell him it’s Dalton McCormick.”
“Just a moment please.”
A full five minutes had gone by, and he was just getting ready to hang up when Craig Swain’s voice came over the phone.
“Hello Dalton, been a long time, how’s the dairy business?”
“Hello Craig, that and other concern is why I called you at the college today; I am showing signs of solar elastosis on my arms, but what is strange is that my milk production is a way down, and I wondered if there might be a connection.”
“Haven’t you been listening to the news?”
“Not really, I listen to farm prices, but they haven’t said anything, we don’t have a T.V. as neither of us cares to watch it.”
“Well…basically the government has gone to ground in Iron Mountain, the cowards, they claimed it was an exercise against terrorist, but a friend who works at W.H.O. in Atlanta says they are still there.”
“W.H.O. is beginning to get calls for unusual sores. My contact at W.H.O says there is a lot of excitement down there.”
“The government knows something, but they aren’t telling.”
“I don’t know whether it ties in with your cows or not, but it could be caused by unrest in cattle from cataracts forming on their eyes.”
I have been a little bothered by flashes in my eyes at night, so this could be happening to your cattle.”
“I haven’t had any problems like that, why haven’t I had the same thing Craig?”
“Well EUV might be aggravated by smog, so people in heavy smog areas would notice it first, but the cows might be more susceptible to it.”
“The students are coming up with some pretty wild stuff here Dalton, you know how it is with students; they are not set in their ways like us old farts.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“There’s a group here called the Christian Student Council, and they are making wild claims about the book of Revelations. They claim it may be coming true. They are citing only one verse though.”
“What verse?”
“Let me check my notes…here it is, Revelations 16:11.”
“Look Dalton, I have to go to class, but call me if you have anything solid. OK?”
“Ok Craig, good talking with you again.”
“Same here buddy, bye now.” The phone went dead and Dalton sat thinking for some time.
“Gabby, where is that old bible?”
“It’s in your bookshelf, why do you want it?” His wife rolled her wheel chair to the door.
“Oh nothing, just wondering…”